The present invention relates to a remote control device for controlling a multi-function apparatus. More specifically, the invention provides a remote control device that is able to be configured after manufacture such that the device is able to control a variety of different apparatuses. The remote control device will change its user interface based upon the particular apparatus it is controlling.
Currently, remote control devices for controlling electronic apparatuses are known. Remote controls for televisions, VCRs, and stereo systems are available. Additionally, universal remote control devices are available. These universal remote control devices consist of a single device that is able to control a variety of the same type of apparatus or is able to control different types of apparatuses. For example, a single remote control device can be designed to control a variety of televisions that are manufactured by different manufacturers. The user merely enters a pre-programmed code into the remote control device to configure the control device such that it is able to control that particular type of television.
With universal remote control devices that are able to control different types of apparatuses, the remote control device contains pre-programmed software that is utilized to control the various different apparatuses that are to be controlled. Different function keys for each type of apparatus are provided on the remote control device for controlling the various functions of the particular apparatus.
A drawback associated with both of these different embodiments for a universal remote control device, i.e. the device for controlling a variety of the same type of apparatus and the device for controlling different types of apparatuses, is that all of the software required to configure the remote control device to control the particular device that is being operated by the user is programmed into the remote control device at the time of its manufacture. Therefore, the manufacturer must know, at the time of manufacture, the specific apparatuses that the remote control device will operate with and the specific characteristics for these apparatuses. These specific characteristics include the various functions of the apparatuses that are to be controlled and the data link specifications for communicating the control signals to the particular apparatus. The requirement to know the specific apparatuses that the remote control device will operate with and the specific characteristics for these apparatuses at the time of manufacture of the remote control device greatly reduces the "universality" feature of the remote control device.
An additional drawback with the universal remote control device that is capable of controlling a variety of different types of apparatuses is that separate function keys for each different type of apparatus must be provided on the remote control device. For example, if the remote control device is utilized to control a VCR, there is provided on the remote control device separate function keys for the VCR functions, e.g. play, fast forward, etc. If the remote control device is utilized to control a television, separate function keys are provided to control the functions of the television, e.g. channel selector buttons, color quality control buttons, volume, etc. Therefore, in addition to the previously discussed drawback where the different types of apparatuses that the remote control device is to control must be known at the time of manufacture, the additional drawback of having to provide separate function keys for each functionally different type of apparatus that is to be controlled further reduces the flexibility of the remote control device for controlling different apparatuses.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a remote control device that is able to be programmed after initial manufacture to accommodate the control of additional apparatuses. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide a universal remote control device that incorporates a multi-functional, interchangeable user interface where the interface is modified such that it is able to control the functions of a variety of different types of apparatuses.